The Walden Pt Road which begins near the Tsimshean Indian community of Metlakatla and goes to the north end of Annette Island, Alaska's only Indian Reserve. 15yrs in the making and it just got paved last year:
http://www.sitnews.us/0307news/03300..._building.html
I'm half Tsimshean and this area has long been my favorite place to vacation and recreate. Mid 80 degree temperatures, clear blue-green ocean water, sandy beaches and lots of very friendly fun-filled friends and relatives.
Ocean kayaking was my passion before becoming Ducatisti over a dozen years ago and Southeast Alaska has long been my favorite place to paddle. This year along with a kayak I also took a couple standup paddleboards. The place I stay is only about 50' from the ocean. Good times.
It's a fun but lengthy and expensive journey to get there from my home in Anchorage. A 750mi drive to Haines where we jump on a ferry for a day and a half, then a smaller ferry over to the island. Each way! No wonder most Alaskans never make it to Southeast Alaska. It also costs more to fly here than to Seattle, WA even tho it's only 2/3's the distance and on the way there! Because it's an area of Alaska that few will ever experience I like to share it through these ride reports.
Here's what dogbrother Comet and I looked like upon departure from Anchorage.
I was pleased all the stuff on top cost me less than a mile per gallon.
Okay, so what's all this have to do with motorcycling? Well, I also had my Triumph Daytona 955 onboard ready to run the new road.
I'd chosen to take my Triumph because I wanted to ride the new road on a sportbike. The Ketchikan Kruzers were also going to be holding drag races on the old mile long runway on Annette and I thought about maybe making some runs. I ended up not doing any racing but did a speed run just for fun. In the photo below we're on the State Ferry Lituya for the hour and half trip between Ketchikan and Metlakatla. The F-body Camaro had a brand new 502 crate motor in it. Not sure what the Hotrod had.
The black car in the foreground was the weekend's fastest with its new 800hp motor. The primer grey Camaro is owned by a State Trooper with whom I corresponded about the races. I told him how I ride dualsport bikes with Troopers and Anchorage Police up north, a few of whom he knew.
Alright, enough leading up to the riding of Walden Pt road. Here are the photos:
Many a rider's favorite kind of road sign.
I'll have to go back and get a sharper shot of these lovely twisties.
A little sharper shot of some mighty fine twisties.
Annette Is is renowned for it geological diversity, including marble. Some geologist friends have called it an amazing.
Oh yeah, a few dotted centerline straight stretches thrown in for good measure.
The road south of Ketchikan can be seen across the water and above the road in this shot. Oh, that and one of the many grade % signs.
The north end of the road where a ferry terminal will be built.
Headed back the other direction now. Through the Narrows just beyond the dark pole on the right is the town of Ketchikan, 16mi from Metlakatla.
Coming back up on the big cut near the beginning of the road.
Me and my lovely Trumpet.
And finally, the end of the road with the Lituya moored down below. It's a 15% grade in the road from here to there! And on the far right is Yellow Hill where I ran a few other twisties on the Ducati in years past. Here's a link to that ride report from a few years ago with more photos of the area if interested:
http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=258739
Having fun in paradise, Mark H. The Wild Halfbreed
